CGI vs Practical Effects Plus Jack the Giant Slayer Movie Review

Much like the government has had a slow creep into every facet of our lives, so has CGI had a slow creep into every shot on the big screen. CGI is not inherently bad, but at some point, the level of technology has not advanced to the point of replacing one medium for another. There are pros and cons to either side of the issue, and there are other factors involved with why CGI has become so prevalent. Today, preproduction is given about three months where in the past they were given as much as nine months. The same may be true for CGI where not enough time is given to digital artists to place the very nuanced details required to make a shot look real and believable.

Data Management: Swarm Technology vs Cloud Servers, A Natural Order

In the beginning, there was data. And this data was held nearly physical until technology advanced to the point of it being held on disks and eventually solid state drives. This data was at first kept locally. Each person's data was their own. When networks were established, links between data was achieved and could be shared or duplicated.

Creative Writing Tips: Pacing

Something that may not be thought of often by writers is pacing. It is a difficult thing to work on as you write only because it can sometimes only be felt when reading the book as a whole. However, it is a very important aspect of a story making any great story unbearable to read because how fast or slow the story progresses. The length of a book can make it even more difficult to get the pacing right with more time spent perhaps in exposition. A good way to tell if a book has good pacing is if a reader "flies through it," or "can't put it down."

YouTube Wasting People's Lives

Yes! Normally I don't bitch about a free service changing (Read: Facebook), but YouTube has changed about 75% of the site. Most of it I'm cool with, and I can still find stuff. But on the main page is where I have my subscriptions listed with uploads only. Before I could just reload the page to see if there were any new updates because it would remember that I only wanted to see uploads. Now it forgets every time. So it gives me two options: reload the page and click subscriptions then upload activity, or click subscriptions but still have to specify upload activity.

WoW Becomes Its Own Joke

I have never played World of Warcraft for a couple reasons. At the time it came out, I was playing FFXI and at the time it was an incredibly difficult game, especially compared to WoW. I am more of a visual kind of guy and the relative realism of FFXI was a stark contrast to WoW which looked cartoony. The armor was unrealistic and looked like it was taken directly from Warhammer 40K. I also have a problem with games who do not show their gameplay in a trailer. This also makes me wonder how anyone could get excited for a game from a trailer that does not show the game. It would be like someone getting excited for a Christopher Nolan live-action film when they show a Pixar short.

After all of these years I still hold no interest for WoW, but they are releasing a new expansion pack called Mists of Pandaria, with a kung-fu panda on the cover. The reason I bring this up is that the movie Kung-fu Panda is the same thing, a cartoon. This is not about Blizzard being completely unoriginal; it is about a game that looks cartoony has made an expansion pack that is reminiscent of a cartoon. Considering the unoriginal armor in WoW and the latest expansion pack, it is becoming apparent that Blizzard is not original in its development.

Creative Writing Tips: Dream Sequences

Many books, typically fantasy genres, have dream sequences. The reasoning behind the dreams can be used for different purposes, such as a premonition of what is to come. Others show the deeper feelings someone may have about a situation going on in the book. Sometimes, these dream sequences can push a reader out of what is believable given the setting of the story. Each person has their own view on what dreams really mean, whether they be the random firings of your brain during REM, the ability to tell the future, or some meaningful analysis of how you really feel. Someone who sees dreams as a way for the brain to keep you occupied while you sleep using jumbled together memories to create an environment may only accept the idea of dreams being clairvoyant in a fantasy setting. An author who sees memories as being clairvoyant may have that kind of dream sequence in a "normal" setting.

For the author, thinking about the reader may be difficult. While it it not assumed that an author should please anyone but himself, the very point of the dream sequence has ruin a reader's experience. There must be a point to the dream sequence, and if there is not a strong enough case, an author must consider removing it from the story, or conveying what may be important in another way. So far, I have only used a dream sequence once, in "Survival Tautology" to show the mental impact of what a person has gone through after living in a world full of zombies for so long.

Tyranny Creeps Into Small Town USA

I began to see things take a worse for the small town of Hornell, NY when the local police purchased surveillance cameras to place around the town, allowing Big Brother to rear its ugly head. Now it has gone from bad to worse with a new law that would create unconstitutional "Free Speech Zones." This is in response to a local man, Gilbert Carlton, who, for the past eight years, has been preaching and singing on Main St. The new law would prevent him and anyone who wishes to "gather, remain, walk or stand upon any street or sidewalk in the City of Hornell to protest, support or exercise free speech by voice, sign or any other means."

A federal judge back in 2004 already struck down "Free Speech Zones" as unconstitutional, when a law student at Texas Tech University wanted to make a speech and was denied. Our rights are being taken away in Hornell, and it is up to the citizens to stand up and say "no" to what is a blatant violation of our natural rights as human beings to express our free speech rights of protesting, and for Gilbert Carlton, our right to free expression of our religion.

That is why there will be a protest held Saturday, September 1st, from Noon-3pm at 138 Main Street, in Hornell, NY. All who love freedom, who are outraged at this unconstitutional law, and wish to do voice this travesty should show up in support. Joe Pelych, a city attorney should promptly return to law school to know what is and is not unconstitutional, of which "Free Speech Zones" are unconstitutional.

Feel free to contact Mayor, Shawn Hogan, and city attorney, Joe Pelych to voice your outrage.

Shawn Hogan
Phone: 607-324-7421
E-mail: shogan@cityofhornell.com

Joe Pelych
Phone: 607-324-6111

The local rock band Transparent will be at the protest to perform live in support of our freedom. So come out for some great information, great music, and let all of Hornell hear your voice.